Reptiles

[greatgrandma]

In the Everglades 2005 I was walking around Flamingo when I saw this crocodile with
his mouth open.

Crocodile guarding a "No Trespassing" sign


I walked across the dam because the bottom of this sign was faded out and I wanted to see what it said. It actually says "U.S. Property No Trespassing". The 'trespassing' part was faded out. This road goes to the employee housing section. In one of the ranger talks we learned that alligators can run 30 mph for short distances and presume crocodiles can also.

What big TEETH you have

 

[greatgrandma]

The Everglades are one of the few places where there are both crocodiles (salt water) and alligators (fresh water)

 

[Blackbird]

The Everglades are one of the few places where there are both crocodiles (salt water) and alligators (fresh water)

You seem to know a lot about reptiles, Rosalie. And the way you handled that snake? You seem to have no fear of them at all!

 

[greatgrandma]

I am not afraid of snakes. This is me at 10

On the hike up to Hermit Lake (Colorado) I caught

Me with the garter snake I caught


a garter snake - I found that the snake can discharge a malodorous, musky-scented secretion from a gland near the cloaca.

 

[Blackbird]

I am not afraid of snakes. This is me at 10

On the hike up to Hermit Lake (Colorado) I caught

Me with the garter snake I caught


a garter snake - I found that the snake can discharge a malodorous, musky-scented secretion from a gland near the cloaca.

Wow and at 10 years old? Brave girl indeed. And a wonderful photo!

 

[greatgrandma]

I guess I'm very brave or just don't know that I'm scared.

My mother recorded my first encounter with a snake at the end of the three year old section of the Baby Book

“In November when we returned from Phila. at election time, we stopped in NY and F [my father] visited someone at the Aquarium. RA & B & I looked at the fish, and turtles, penguins, seals and alligators for the first hour and then F took us back of the scenes. One of the men asked if RA was afraid of a snake. I said I thought not, that she had never seen one. So he brought one out and let it play all around his arm & neck. The snake was about 3 in. in diameter and 7 or 8 feet long. It was beautifully colored, various shades of brown. After a bit, RA asked to hold it & I said she could. I put my arm along hers so that it wouldn’t squeeze hers too much. The snake wound around our arms & its tail got all knotted around her sash. Its head explored all over her dress, neck, hair, face etc. with its tongue sticking out rapidly all the time. RA petted it.

The man couldn’t get over it and kept remarking that he wished he had a photo of that. Figge [Dad] was just puffed up with pride. As we were leaving, I asked what kind of snake it was & when the man said boa constrictor, I almost collapsed!!! I phoned Mother when we got home & said “Guess what RA has been playing with” And she said “boa constrictor”. When I asked how she had guessed, she said she just tho/t of the worst thing she could’

This photo is from Tangier c 1993

 

[greatgrandma]

Apparently I am. My kids were not as keen to hold the snakes

None of us (including my husband) are afraid of snakes. We are happy to have a nice black snake in the attic. Keeps the mice down when the cats don't do the job. My youngest daughter was found playing with baby copperheads in our yard. (Not really a good idea). This same child is now a horse trainer. When she was about 14 months we were visiting a lady who had a German shepherd, and the dog licked her face. So she thought about it for a minute and then she stuck out her tongue and lickd him back

 

[fotoi]

 

[greatgrandma]

Box turtle in our yard

 

[K9Kirk]

An alligator chomping on a fish.

11142205-studio-25-1 by Kirk Behymer, on Flickr